1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of portable soccer goal targets which can be removably affixed to a soccer goal at given locations to enable an individual to practice kicking a soccer ball through the soccer goal at specific desired locations.
2. Detailed Description of the Prior Art
In general the concept of having targets affixed to soccer goals or other types of athletic structures is known. The following 23 patents and published patent applications are relevant.
1. U.S. Pat. No. 613,383 issued to Anne E. Morgan on Nov. 1, 1898 for “Game Apparatus” (hereafter the “Morgan patent”);
2. U.S. Pat. No. 2,647,747 issued to Harold E. Kenney et al. on Aug. 4, 1953 for “Football Target Game Apparatus” (hereafter the “Kenney patent”);
3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,843 issued to Denis O. Griggs on Jan. 20, 1981 for “Hockey Target” (hereafter the “Griggs patent”);
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,648 issued to Theodore D. Stromback on Oct. 20, 1981 for “Baseball Pitcher's Target” (hereafter the “Stromback patent”);
5. U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,166 issued to Richard M. Baker et al. on May 2, 1989 for “Football Target Assembly” (hereafter the “Baker patent”);
6. U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,283 issued to Kenneth LeBel et al. on Jun. 27, 1989 for “Target Assembly” (hereafter the “LeBel patent”);
7. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 303,824 issued to William J. Maloney, II on Oct. 3, 1989 for “Soccer Goal” (hereafter the “Maloney patent”);
8. U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,147 issued to Michel Pallanca on Aug. 14, 1990 for “Soccer Target” (hereafter the “Pallanca patent”);
9. U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,809 issued to Hsi-Shih Chiang on Jan. 15, 1991 for “Ball Game Device” (hereafter the “Chiang patent”);
10. U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,725 issued to Nicholas J. Leras et al. on Jan. 26, 1993 for “Soccer Shooting Training Target” (hereafter the “Leras patent”);
11. U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,402 issued to Norman R. Moss, Jr. on Apr. 2, 1996 for “Soccer Practice Focal Device” (hereafter the “Moss patent”);
12. U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,153 issued to James Steven Masin on Mar. 30, 1999 for “Portable Shot Target Assembly” (hereafter the “Masin patent”);
13. U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,876 issued to Kevin Franklin on Apr. 3, 2001 for “Football Target Game” (hereafter the “Franklin patent”);
14. U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,641 issued to William J. Lee on Jun. 11, 2002 for “Movable Target For Sports Goal” (hereafter the “Lee patent”);
15. United States Published Patent Application No. 2002/0111234 to Kevin MacNichol on Aug. 15, 2002 for “Sports Practice Net For Arresting Flying Projectile Objects” (hereafter the “MacNichol Published patent application”);
16. U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,729 issued to Warren V. Coltrane et al. on Jan. 21, 2003 for “Goal Shot Training System” (hereafter the “Coltrane patent”);
17. U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,384 issued to Shelley Bains on Feb. 17, 2004 for “Apparatus for Defining Goal Target Area” (hereafter the “Baths patent”);
18. U.S. Pat. No. 7,134,976 issued to Paul D. Smith on Nov. 14, 2006 for “Sports Training Device And Method of Using The Same” (hereafter the “Smith patent”);
19. U.S. Pat. No. D537,489 issued to Kevin M. McAdams et al. on Feb. 7, 2007 for “Target” (hereafter the “McAdams Design patent”);
20. U.S. Pat. No. 7,252,604 issued to Arthur Birss on Aug. 7, 2007 for “Target Apparatus For A Sport Goal” (hereafter the “Birss patent”);
21. United States Published Patent Application No. 2008/0272548 to Glenn Brant Hensley on Nov. 6, 2008 for “Target Hanger And Target Support System” (hereafter the “Hensley Published patent application”);
22. United States Published Patent Application No. 2009/0176603 to Donnie Travis Prince on Jul. 9, 2009 for “Soccer Training Target, Method For Practicing Kicking Using Same, And Method For Advertising Using Same” (hereafter the “Prince Published patent application”);
23. U.S. Pat. No. 7,661,679 to Ernest Wing Mah et al. on Feb. 16, 2010 for “Electronic Target System For Sports” (hereafter the “Mah patent”).
The Morgan patent involves a game which represents a multiplicity of rings to shoot at as a target or to aim it as a target as described.
The Kenney patent essentially is a target for practice through which a ball may be thrown or kicked. The structure is essentially on the ground and as best illustrated from the side view, has a rectangular shaped board 10 having an opening 12 through which the ball can be thrown and kicked. Behind the structure is a netting 28 through which the ball can fall through to be retrieved.
The Griggs patent discloses a hockey target which is affixed to the side of a hockey net by the affixing means shown in FIG. 2. There is a goal through which the hockey puck is intended to be kicked. The hockey net is obviously closer to the ground and this can be affixed to the side of the hockey net post by simple manual means.
The Stromback patent discloses a baseball pitchers target. Specifically, the target is a donut shaped member 12 hung from a string 11 and placed in what is typically known as a “strike zone”. Clearly, the target is in the mid section of the strike zone. Specifically, the patent discloses:                “Within the strike zone 6 of the preferred embodiment 1 is suspended a circular target 12. The target 12 which is ancillary to the strike zone 6 is supported by a cord 11 which is attached by a simple knot to the target 12 and upper cross-member 2. Target 12 can be repositioned within the zone 6 by moving its point of attachment to member 2 and lengthening or shortening cord 11, for the purpose of designating a particular area of the zone 6, such as, the inside or outside corner.”        
The Baker patent discloses a football target practice member which includes having a boom 16 so that the target can be moved to different locations and repositioned after the ball has been thrown through the target. In concept this embodies the general concept of having a target for a football but it is not specifically focusing on soccer and the target can be on any type of structure as the goal is to present a moving target which can be repositioned so that a football can be thrown through the target.
The LeBel patent deals with creating targets for a hockey goal post and they can be fixed to the goal posts as shown in FIG. 1. Clearly, the targets are at the four corners and it is shown that the hockey puck can be hit to aim for one of the four posts. However, because the hockey goal itself is shorter than human height, it is easy to simply stand adjacent it and to affix the solid target at any location on the posts of the hockey goal.
The Maloney patent is a design patent which discloses the concept of having a target affixed to the top posts of a structure to form a soccer goal but there is no indication that this is part of a soccer post arrangement and simply appears to be an arranged post so that someone can kick a soccer ball through the central goal.
The Pallanca patent discloses a large framework for providing soccer targets at different locations including the upper left and upper right portion as shown in FIG. 1. However, this is a very cumbersome device which needs to be affixed with posts and probably takes a substantial amount of time to set up.
The Chiang patent discloses a ball game device which contains a target with a receiving end on the bottom so that the ball can fall into the net after it goes through the target.
The Leras patent discloses:                “A soccer shooting training target which may be easily rolled up and transported can be installed over an existing soccer goal. The target comprises a plurality of individual targets containing flaps sized to admit passage to a soccer ball. The soccer shooting training target's upper edge is tied in place to the goal rear crossbar using a weighted rope. The bottom corners of the soccer shooting training target are tied down using elastic cord and stakes in order to render the target stable in the presence of wind. Alternate soccer shooting training target configurations include a stand mounted free standing version and a canister housed target permanently mounted to a soccer goal crossbar.”        
The Moss patent discloses a soccer practice apparatus which in broad concept focuses on placing on a soccer goal a target in the upper left and upper right quadrant as shown. However, the device is an L-shaped member 12 which is affixed by fastening means 22 and therefore the way the device is fastened requires time to attach it and disconnect it.
The Masin patent is a portable shot target device which can be affixed to a hockey goal post by a clamping device 18 to create a basket to shoot the hockey puck.
The Franklin patent discloses a football target game wherein a target is bolted to a frame assembly so that a football can be thrown through it.
The Lee patent discloses a movable target for a sports goal. Essentially it is a target that is suspended from the upper cross bar by movable straps 22 so that the target can be moved along the horizontal length of the goal.
The MacNichol Published patent Application discloses having a target suspended by two elastic suspension means 20 wrapped around the upper post.
The Coltrane patent discloses a goal shot training system where a multiplicity of straps are wrapped around the goal to break the goal into different sections for aiming a soccer or other ball.
The Bains patent discloses an apparatus for defining a target which contains a pair of telescoping members that have adjoining tubular members that are wrapped around right angle locations on the first and second section of a cross bar of a goal to form a target in the upper left or upper right portion of the goal.
The Smith patent discloses the concept of having multiple straps affixing targets at different locations in the soccer goal posts. The affixation method is described as follows:                “While a target device 100 may be removably attached to a soccer goal post, cross-bar or other rigid post in any number of ways, FIG. 1 shows the support member 160 ready for secure attachment to a rigid elongated strut 180 which then has multiple straps 200 attached thereto. The straps 200 provide a mechanism for attaching the target device 100 to a rigid post. The straps 200 incorporate a buckle 205, having a pin 210 and a series of strap openings 215 for receipt of the buckle pin 210 to permit the straps 200 to accommodate various post sizes. The strut 180 can also be clamped or similarly joined to a post or the like. In one embodiment, the cross-section of the strut 180 is generally shaped to conform to the exterior cylindrical shape of a post. In other words, the strut 180 may have a concave surface which generally matches the contour of a cylindrical post.”        
The McAdams patent discloses effectively hanging a target over the net but the hanging incorporates having a dumbbell shaped target so that it not only hangs over the upper cross bar but rests on the ground as well.
The Birss patent is still in full force and effect and is a target apparatus for a sports goal. The targets are mounted by mounting brackets on the various sides or behind the posts as illustrated.
The Hensley Published patent Application discloses hanging members 21 which serve to hang the target over a vertical post.
The Prince Published patent Application discloses a target which is effectively hooked to the mesh netting as shown in FIG. 1.
The Mah patent discloses an electronic target apparatus which is affixed to the side posts of a goal and has means to register a signal when an object has been shot through or kicked through the goal.
There is a significant need for an improved target apparatus which can be quickly removed from a soccer goal which target enables an individual to aim at certain specific desired areas which are the most difficult areas for a goalie to defend.